Progressive Talking Points 12/12/05

Standing Alone on Climate Change

The two-week United Nations Climate Change conference ended on December 9 with the United States standing apart from the rest of the world on climate change. In the face of strong evidence that the climate is changing, the Bush administration has stalled and rejected international agreements to reduce global warming pollution. From not signing Kyoto in 2001 to walking out of talks this weekend, the Bush administration continues to be out of step with the world, choosing politics over sound policy.

• The United States continues to stand apart from the rest of the world on climate change. More than 150 nations agreed to hold talks aimed at setting new limits on greenhouse emissions. The U.S., which produces 25 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases, sat out of the agreement and walked out of informal discussions on curbing gases. But the world isn’t waiting for the United States to catch up – talks continued to move forward.
  
  
• The right wing continues to put politics over policy. Administration "officials privately threatened organizers” of the Conference when they learned that Bill Clinton was to speak (the organizers let him speak anyway). In addition, Chris Horner, counsel for two groups that oppose enacting climate change measures, covered the conference as a reporter from the right-wing Washington Times. During the conference, Horner tried to portray the U.S. position as leading the "new consensus." Horner is not a reporter – he only penned one op-ed in the Washington Times in 2004 and 2005.
  
  
• States and cities are taking measures into their own hands. States are also not waiting for the United States to take action on global warming. In September, New Mexico promised to reduce greenhouse emissions by 4 percent by 2006. California unveiled new initiatives to cap greenhouse gases; Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels is working with 180 U.S. mayors to tackle global warming; and eight Northeastern states have proposed their own plan to lower greenhouse gases from power plants.